Part 8 (2/2)
mair importance before us the noo than moths Your faithers went doon the Athabasca, you said?”
”Yes; in a canoe,” said Bob
Mackintosh shook his head ominously
”That's bad I suppose they'd never been there before--indeed, it was no' possible, or they'd never have erous?” questioned Holden, in an undertone of dread, for the man's voice conveyed no sers had run ”We had not thought of danger in the river We only thought of runted uneasily
”The river is ht atween cliffs where it runs like lightning, and then shoots in a waterfall into the Silver Lake Man! I've seen great trunks o' pine giants flung through yon opening like wee arrows a hundred feet in the air afore they touched water again”
”Then a canoe----”
”If it reached so far in safety it would shoot likewise”
”You think it possible that the canoe _ully unharmed?”
Bob then questioned It was always his nature to struggle for the brightest view, and the man's ansas somewhat in the same spirit
”It's no' the way o' Skipper Mackintosh to find trouble until trouble finds him He's been in a' the back corners o' Europe, Africa, India, China, and A mair from his travels, he learned this: troubles are easier conquered when you meet them wi' a firm lip at the proper ti about--well, it's little strength he's got left when the fight really begins”
”Yet if, as you say, the Athabasca is so dangerous----” began Alf, when he was again interrupted with kindly roughness
”If? Laddie, laddie, are you forgetting that there's a Hand that could guide the frailest birch-bark safely through Niagara itsel'? And I doot not that I'ht when I say that it's my opeenion that that saht Does either o'
you ken anything o' this by chance?”
As he spoke Mackintosh dived his hand into the hip-pocket of his overalls and produced a white handkerchief which he spread out upon the ground by the fire The boys bent forward, and immediately Alf exclaimed--
”That's my father's! See! His initials are at the corner Where did you find it?”
”_Not_ in the Athabasca!” said Mackintosh with quiet triu a hundred yards from Silver Lake”
”Then that ht at the relief from one anxiety that the evidence of the handkerchief provided
”Ay The Athabasca is free fros to walk by itsel' It h I ken there's been Indians in the viceenity If a redskin had found it, he'd have taken better care o' it And so it's clear to me that one o' your faithers must have dropped it on dry land, and so--so---- Well, you both o' you can have a sound night's rest”
So convincing were the tones in which the man clothed his words that the spirits of the boys were quickly stirred froloomy anticipations to comparative cheerfulness
”You've lifted a load froratefully, ”for of course it is all fairly plain now As likely as not they passed through that horrible gully, but were too worn out yesterday to start the trudge back to ca how the river winds”
”In that case, gested Alf ”But they would understand our being away, for they would find the note that we pinned to the tent”
”That's right, laddies Look for the bright side and you'll always find it,” the Scots is a wee bit oot in one respect--they have no' gone back yet, else Haggis or I would have seen them This camp is in the direct natural path from that part o' the Athabasca My opeenion is that they've fallen in with the Indians--a tribe o' Dacotahs, and peaceable folk they are It's no'
to be expected that the gully could be passed unscathed So it's likely tothe a brave to your camp to tell you o' it So to- for Silver Lake That's the best plan I can think o'”
”You mean to come with us?” asked Alf